By Nicholas Proch
The human race is doomed. We can see the end of the Mayan calendar approaching and most of us passed through ‘judgment day’ without fretting. If this prophecy turns out to be true, I’m afraid to hear what my judgment was. In fact, most of us should be fearful of that, but we were all busy pointing and laughing at Harold Camping, the pastor who got his rapture predictions to the forefront of the evening news, back tracking on what he said to his undiscerning followers for the past 25 years. His terminal lack of conviction to his faith not only destroyed his reputation, but is just one example of the many of where we are headed as a species.
There’s something to be said for someone with consistency in today’s world. An individual who doesn’t step back from what they preach and believe in should be carried around on a throne while the rest of us watch from below. These types of people will make decisions that may defy the logic of the masses, but it will fall in with their other choices so fittingly that they needn’t think twice.
What do Woody Allen, Tim Tebow and Ron Paul all have in common? Beyond the fact that they share the same skin color, there is nothing that most notice. One is a physical specimen. He’s a dominating fullback who plays the quarterback position for the Denver Broncos. The other two men are frail in comparison and make up for their muscular inefficiencies with their verbal and artistic prowess and whopping nasal cavities.
Allen is well known for his self-pitting comedies against his own psyche and that of society. He has an obsession with Manhattan and the Jews that fill it. He may be my favorite filmmaker of all time, but is more recognized in Spain than he is in his own country. Throughout his 60-year career, he’s had the same stances on love, religion and award-show ceremonies.
Tim Tebow. He’s become a cultural phenomenon for a number of reasons. One being that he is playing quarterback in a style that is completely his own. The other is more baffling and makes our society look immature. He’s a very religious person and that is no secret. ‘Tebowing’ is a gesture that mocks his ritual of praying after a great play on the field. Where the line is drawn to make fun of someone’s religion is a complete juxtaposition to the moral steadiness he’s shown during his career.
Ron Paul took 20 years to run again for Presidential office in 2008. This year he’s having a decently strong showing in the primaries, but beyond that he’s turning heads for his deeply rooted political beliefs. Many of his stances haven’t changed in the 24 years between campaigns.
We’ve seen far too many political, athletic and celebrity figures waiver around what they think is right. Tiger Woods was seen as a family man before he drove his Escalade, and marriage along with it, into a tree. Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and Rick Santorum seem to change their stances on something as frequently as the Republican Party hosts a televised debate. And please, don’t get me started on Michael Moore.
This past weekend exemplified how steady Allen, Paul and Tebow are.
Allen didn’t show up to the Golden Globes. He was unable to accept his award for best screenplay. In fact, I’m not sure that he’s accepted any of his 95 awards for his work. He has been public about the fact that he doesn’t see the value in any award shows and has only showed up to one Academy Awards ceremony. That ceremony was in the winter following Sept. 11. He was asked to present a short film about the history of cinema in New York. It was only because of his love for the city that he left his house and attended the event.
The GOP candidates are dropping left and right. The latest is Jon Hunstman. He felt that it would be better for the party if he no longer ran against the others. However, with each figure that drops out, with them go their platforms. Paul will not go down until the party acknowledges his views on the structure of the government. It’s that steadiness that is telling the voting public that he isn’t going to bend his beliefs for additional punches on a ballot.
Before and after each game that Tebow plays, he hosts an underprivileged or handicapped child. Immediately following the loss to the Patriots this week, where his offense looked like they were playing against their will, he went and hung out with Zach McCleod, a young man who sustained a severe brain injury while playing football. His faith finds its way into his post game interviews because it is real. It’s more real than the skills he has as a quarterback in the National Football League, but his faith is first and foremost. That will inevitably turn off his fans, but that’s not his concern.
When a decision you make is questioned it’s hard not to feel the pressure of changing your stance on that subject. Unfortunately, individuals like Tebow and Allen are the minority in a society that features a plethora of egotistical morons who only care about their ratings or if they’re liked or not. Stand up for what you believe in and stop selling yourself out to what others want you to be.
Without people who could do that we wouldn’t be where we are as a society. The civil rights movement wasn’t the popular thing to participate in at the time. The rebels were the minority in the revolution that founded this country, but that didn’t stop them. Let’s not declare that people are committing acts of moral turpitude until we pause and look at how well grounded their decisions have always been.
